Construction toy means for locking a horizontal i-beam between two detachably joinedvertical column members



2 CONSTRUCTION TOY MEANS FOR LOOKING A HORIZONTAL I-BEAM BETWEEN TWO DETACHABLY JOINED VERTICAL COLUMN MEMBERS Filed Nov. 20, 1961 Feb. 9, 1965 H GIBSON 3168,793

Inventor HENRY G/BSO A Horn e y United States Patent 3,168,793 CONSTRUCTION TOY MEANS FOR LOCKING A HORIZONTAL I-BEAM BETWEEN TWO DETACH- ABLY JOINED VERTICAL COLUMN NHEMBERS Henry Gibson, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Kelton Corporation Limited, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, a corporation of Canada Filed Nov. 20, 1961, Ser. No. 153,367

2 Claims. (Cl. 46-28) This invention relates to improvements in constructural toys of the type involving interlocking beams and posts for building up various desired toy structures.

The principal object of the invention is to provide improved interlocking members for such constructional toys or sets which provide increased facility of assembly of the structures a child may build, increasing the play value of such toys or sets.

Another important object is to provide a simplified and improved structural member interlocking arrangement wherein the members can be quickly assembled without danger of breakage of the interlocking parts under normal handling yet at the same time, will ensure that the interlocked members are positively and firmly locked together without danger of coming apart when handling the completed structure.

A further important object is to provide a constructional toy set involving interlocking members as aforesaid which members will nevertheless closely simulate standard structural shapes to enable highly realistic structures to be built therewith.

Still another important object is to provide a constructional set providing the aforesaid advantages which will be simpler and less expensive to manufacture than present sets of this type.

The principal feature of the invention resides in providing column forming post members and beam members with a novel pin and eye interlock, the eye being formed as an opening through a lug integral with one of the post and beam members, and the pin being formed as an integral part of the other member to snugly fit in the lug opening.

Another important feature resides in forming the post members for end to end interlock to form a column and providing means thereon to bar, when same are interlocked, the release of the pin and eye connection between the posts of the column and beams attached thereto.

Conveniently, the eye forming lugs may be integral with the posts and the pins may be integral with the beams and in the preferred embodiment herein illustrated and described, this arrangement is resorted to although it will be appreciated the arrangement may be reversed.

According to the preferred embodiment at least one of the ends of the posts is of rectangular form and is provided with four such eye forming lugs adjacent thereto extending laterally from the sides thereof, and the beam structure is formed at the ends thereof with pins spaced from web portions of the beam whereby the pin and eye interlock is augmented by a lug and web interengagement.

Another important feature resides in providing flanges or ledges on the posts arranged to overlie the eye and pin connections when two or more posts are assembled in column form and beams are interlocked therewith at the juncture thereof, the flanges blocking removal of the pins from the eyes.

These and other objects and features will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view partially broken away of a plurality of beams and posts embodying the invention interlocked in the building up of a structure; and

FIGURE 2 is a fragmented enlarged exploded view detailing the post and beam interlock of the invention.

With reference to FIGURE 1 the post members 1 according to the invention are preferably formed of a structural shape to simulate, for example, an H-beam or an I-beam. The upper end 2 of each of the posts 1 is squared to provide four right angularly disposed faces 3 from which project lugs 4 having openings 5 therethrough to form the eye of a pin and eye connection hereinafter described.

The end 2 of each of the posts 1 is preferably formed with a socket 6 of squared form to receive a projection 7 formed at the lower end of a corresponding post, the projection 7 being adapted to seat snugly down into the socket 6 whereby the posts 1 may be connected in end to end column forming relation.

The lower end of each of the posts 1 which carries the projection 7 is provided at each side thereof with a laterally extending ledge 9 so that when the posts are assembled in column forming relation, the ledges 9 of the upper post will overlie the lugs 4 at the upper end of the lower post and in spaced relation thereto.

Each of the beams 10 which is adapted to be coupled to the posts 1 is again preferably in the form of an I-beam or H-beam, having upper and lower flanges 12 connected by a central web 13. The upper flange 11 is shown as extended at each end as at 14 and projecting downwardly from the undersurface of this flange extension is a pin 15 which is spaced from, but in alignment with, the web 13.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the pin 15 is adapted to snugly fit into the opening 5 of one of the lugs 4 carried by the post 1 to provide a removable eye and pin interlock therewith. In addition, the wall of the lug 4 is adapted to snugly seat between the end of the web 13 and the pin 15 to augment the interlock. In addition, when pin 15 is positioned within lug opening 5, the end 14 of the upper flange 11 is adapted to contact the outward face of the post on which lug 4 is formed.

It will be understood that when assembling a beam or beams to the posts in the building up of a structure, the beams will be interlocked with the posts by inserting the pins 15 into the lug openings 5 after which a further post 1 may be added by seating its projection 7 down into the socket 6 of the lower beam supporting posts, whereupon the ledges 9 will overlie the flange extensions 14 of the beams in abutting relation thereto to bar removal of the beams from the column thus formed.

Preferably, the beams 10 carry pin projections 16 which allow the attachment of suitable cross braces 17. Also panels, not shown, or any other structural members may be attached by means of the pins to face or cover the framework built up by the posts and beams.

Conveniently, the structure to be erected may be supported from a suitable base 18 having holes 19 therein to receive the projections 7 at the lower ends of the lowermost post member. Conveniently, for mounting a special post member 20 may be provided, this post being essentially identical to the post 1 except that it is much shorter in length and is of simply square or rectangular shape and omits the ledges 9 at the bottom thereof.

The structural elements comprised by the posts 1 and beams 10 may be molded of any suitable plastic, for example, as lightweight substantially non-breakage elements with the interlocking parts thereof having a close tolerance fit, with the result that the building set embodying such structural elements can be inexpensively manufactured to provide a highly desirable, sturdy and useful toy.

While the posts 1 have been shown as being provided with the sockets 6 at the upper end and the projection 7 at the lower end, this relation may be reversed and, of course, other forms of end to end interlocks may be used within the scope of the invention.

Further, while according to the preferredembodiinent of the invention, the post is provided with the eye formations of the pin and eye connections and the beams are provided with the pins, again this relationship could be reversed while still taking advantage of the individual or independent easily operated post and beam interlock at each face of the post.

It will also be understood that various other changes in detail in actual construction of the posts and beams may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A toy constructional set comprising a plurality of post members of rectangular form at their ends each having a projection at one end and a socket for the reception of a corresponding projection on the other end, whereby said posts are adapted to be assembled in end to end forming relation, said post members having a lug with an opening therethrough on each outward face of the rectangularly formed end adjacent said socket and a plurality of I-beam members each with the web and one flange recessed at each end, a pin secured to the underside of the projecting other flange of said I-beam memher at each end, said pin being spaced from said web and the end of each said projecting other flange being adapted to contact the outward face of a post member on which said lug is formed when said pin on the underside of said projecting other flange is positioned within the lug opening whereby said pin and said lug with said opening provide a connection for said post and I-beam members to assemble same as a toy constructional set, and said projecting flange and the corresponding outward face of said post when assembled provide a means for interlocking and preventing the rotation of said pin in said opening of said lug.

2. A toy constructional set as claimed in claim 1 in which means are provided to bar uncoupling of said pin from said lug, said means comprising a ledge formed integral with said post members on the face at the end opposite to said lug, said ledge overlying the projecting other flange of said beam when said connection is made.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,002,315 Kuhn Oct. 3, 1961 

1. A TOY CONSTRUCTIONAL SET COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF POST MEMBERS OF RECTANGULAR FORM AT THEIR ENDS ECH HAVING A PROJECTION AT ONE END AND A SOCKET FOR THE RECEPTION OF A CORRESPONDING PROJECTION ON THE OTHER END, WHEREBY SAID POSTS ARE ADAPTED TO BE ASSEMBLED IN END TO END FORMING RELATION, SAID POST MEMBERS HAVING A LUG WITH AN OPENING THERETHROUGH ON EACH OUTWARD FACE OF THE RECTANGULARLY FORMED END ADJACENT SAID SOCKET AND A PLURALITY OF I-BEAM MEMBERS EACH WITH THE WEB AND ONE FLANGE RECESSED AT EACH END, A PIN SECURED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE PROJECTING OTHER FLANGE OF SAID I-BEAM MEMBER AT EACH END, SAID PIN BEING SPACED FROM SAID WEB AND THE END OF EACH SIDE PROJECTING OTHER FLANGE BEING ADAPTED TO CONTACT THE OUTWARD FACE OF A POST MEMBER ON WHICH SAID LUG IS FORMED WHEN SAID PIN ON THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID 